You may remember my blog posts from last year about an epic road trip that I took with my aunt from Los Angeles up to San Francisco and Napa, across to Yosemite and Death Valley and down through the Grand Canyon. Well, once in a lifetime that may have been but we decided to do a second one this year. My cousin was getting married in Estes Park at the entrance to the Rocky Mountains, just outside of Denver, and so this was our anchor for planning the route.

The Stanley Hotel was a beautiful location for the drinks reception the night before the wedding.

Now I can’t mention Estes Park without saying something about the Stanley Hotel. Opened in 1909, in 1971 it hosted Stephen King and his wife in Room 217. They were the only guests and his experience of the echoing halls inspired him to write The Shining. Though the hotel didn’t serve as the location for Kubrick’s iconic film, that film plays on continuous loop on all the guest room televisions. If you’re interested in seeing evidence of paranormal activity on site, you can join a ghost tour where you’ll be astounded by lollipops being knocked over by the various spirits who inhabit the building.

For the first time, I put together a little video of our trip – I almost get tears in my eyes each time I watch it as I remember everything we’ve seen in such a short space of time (reflected in the fact that I’m squeezing it all into one blog post!). Country roads, take me home!

“Like no place on earth”

Our trip started in Wyoming, driving north from Denver up through Cheyenne, the capital city. Although my post-trip online research has told me that Wyoming no longer officially has this slogan, the state motto ‘like no place on earth’ quite accurately summed up this part of the country. The area includes both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park but that’s not all its known for; Wyoming is also ‘the equality state’, having been the first to grant women the vote in 1869.

Another state that’s “like no place on earth” is Montana. For some reason I had imagined wide-open prairies and Native Americans, presumably thanks to films like Legends of the Fall and A River Runs Through It – and this is actually quite close to the reality, Montana being the fourth biggest state but ranking just 44th in population of the 50 states. What I did not expect, however, was the proliferation of crystal meth, of which I was informed by a lot of billboards with various messages along the lines of “one shot and you’re hooked”. Lovely. Seeing how differently people out here live, together with the conversations I overheard throughout the trip about guns in particular, I got an unexpected insight into the voting patterns of the country.

Mount Rushmore

Have you ever noticed that Teddy Roosevelt (you know, Robin Williams – third one from the left) is wearing glasses? Amazing!

Now the reason for venturing into meth central was in fact this: ticking off #7 on my bucket list and visiting Mount Rushmore (“THERE IS NO COUNT RUSHMORE!”). It’s really not on the way to anything and as we’ve established the US is a very big country, so you can’t exactly just pop up to Mount Rushmore. Having come to Colorado for my cousin’s wedding, however, it felt like this was my big chance: the memorial is less than a six-hour drive from Denver. It was conceived precisely to bring tourists to the Black Hills region and it seems to have been successful!

Now, as is often the case, Mount Rushmore was smaller than I had expected (did you ever visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa?), at least from a distance. On the way there, I first saw the profile of a face carved into the mountain but it turned out in fact to be that of Crazy Horse. In an ambitious project that started in 1948, the intent has been to create a monument to represent a Native American hero; if it’s ever completed it will be the largest sculpture in the world. Over at the better funded Mount Rushmore, the four faces of the American presidents were chosen by sculptor Gutzon Borglum to represent the founding (George Washington, 1789-1797), growth (Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809), preservation (Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865) and development (Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909) of the United States.

The unexpected highlight for me was coming back in the evening, when all the visitors joined in with the national anthem as the monument was lit, and all past and present military personnel were individually honoured on stage. If you’d like a taster of what this was like, I recorded a video on my phone – it’s very dark, but you get at least an idea of the atmosphere. Just click on the ‘X’ to remove the ad at the bottom.

Little Bighorn

263 soldiers, including Custer, died at the Battle of Little Bighorn

Reading about Crazy Horse led us to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where the combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho won a victory against Lieutenant Colonel Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army (referred to in The Last Samurai, if you’ve seen that recently!). Although we hadn’t planned a stop there, I was happy to see that the site of ‘Custer’s Last Stand’ was on the way to our next stop, West Yellowstone.

A quote at the memorial reads, “Forty years ago I fought Custer till all were dead. I was then the enemy of the Whitemen. Now I am the friend and brother, living in peace together under the flag of our country.” – Two Moons, Northern Cheyenne.

Although that battle of 25th-26th June 1876 was a victory for the Native Americans, just a few years later they had surrendered. The site of the battlefield today includes a National Monument with the Custer National Cemetery as well as an Indian Memorial.

Yellowstone National Park

I’ve always loved Yosemite National Park but I have to say that I may well have a new favourite: Yellowstone. Its sheer scale and spectacular beauty was quite overwhelming, with every turn in the road offering a fresh perspective and a new type of landscape. The first national park in the US and possibly also the world, it encompasses sub-alpine forest, geothermal features including geysers (also ‘paint pots’ and ‘fumaroles’), mountains, lakes, rivers, canyons, waterfalls… and a range of wildlife including bears (we saw a black baby one), bison and elk (we saw several), deer (we saw many!). We saw most of it from our car so I’d definitely love to come back and have more of a natural experience of camping… but WOW, what we saw just took our breath away. We even timed our visit perfectly to the Old Faithful geyser just as it erupted (it does so approximately every 90 minutes – you can follow the latest estimates on its personal Twitter account!).

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City: another place that I’d been curious about but I would never travel to for its own sake. Of course I’ve always known it as the headquarters of the Mormons, something that has only been reinforced since watching Book of Mormon. Twice. As far as I can tell, everything portrayed in the musical is basically true (okay, except the actual story of Kevin, Arnold, and Uganda) and it was quite fascinating to learn more about their beliefs of Jesus coming to North America, Mormon and his son Moroni (“the all-American angel”) writing down their witness in the 4th century AD, Joseph Smith finding those golden plates, and Brigham Young founding the religion in Salt Lake City.

Sal Tlay Ka Siti, not just a story mama told But a village in Ooh-tah, where the roofs are thatched with gold If I could let myself believe, I know just where I’d be – Right on the next bus to paradise: Sal Tlay Ka Siti

Mormons get baptised and married in their temples, which are not open to the public. You can see a scale model in the visitor’s centre: the inside is absolutely spectacular.

Now Salt Lake City is the location of the Mormon temple, and it does look exactly like it does in the musical set. I found it interesting, though, that only about half of the city’s population is Mormon and there is actually a strong counter-culture that means that it’s no problem at all to find places to drink coffee or alcohol… or do yoga! Since it was only a quick two-night stop, we did still focus our attention on Temple Square, which was the reason why I wanted to visit the city. We said, “Hello” to a lot of very friendly Mormon volunteers who were there to guide people around the area, all for free. Most in fact were women, both young students who were on their mission and older pensioners (rather hilariously, it was the latter who were tasked with showing us how the computers worked in the Family History Library).

The practical bit

I honestly wouldn’t recommend such a whirlwind tour of so many states, even though that’s often what I end up doing; but it did gave me a taster and I now know where I’d like to come back to (definitely Yellowstone for some proper camping as well as Jackson and, more surprisingly, Salt Lake City).

A few of my favourite places to stay or eat:

Torrington, Wyoming: This was a ‘middle-of-a-nowhere’ petrol / lunch stop but I feel it deserves a mention because of the surprisingly modern coffee shop The Java Jar, where they served great coffee and very fresh salads and sandwiches. They even had Wi-Fi!

Broadus, Montana: Should you ever find yourself driving through Broadus, then keep on driving. Should you for some reason have to stop, then make your way to the bowling alley (you’ll know it by the naked baby doll tied to a post outside) where you can get a really yummy quesadilla.

Keystone, North Dakota: Our hotel recommended the Powder House Lodge Restaurant and we weren’t disappointed. I had the most delicious elk medallions sautéed with apples and my aunt had the one of the best (buffalo) filets she’d ever tasted. I also had a very tasty Moscow Mule in the Red Garter Saloon where there was live music and even a bit of dancing.

Jackson, Wyoming: Try Bin 22 for dinner and drinks (the restaurant is next door to the grocer’s where you can pick up a bottle of wine with no corkage), and The Bunnery, a popular breakfast spot for tourists and locals alike.

Salt Lake City, Utah: The Melting Point was a pretty amusing insight into what Americans think of fondue. Bearing little resemblance to what we do in Switzerland, this was a massive four-course extravaganza that nonetheless was worth it for the experience!

Pearl Harbor: The view from the USS Missouri across the water to the USS Arizona Memorial.

I studied the Second World War at school. A lot. We covered the rise of the Nazis through to the Yalta and Potsdam conferences that came at the end of the war and continued through the crises and treaties of the Cold War. Although we did of course cover Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor*, we were focused on the war in Europe and learned little about what was going on in the Pacific.

To experience Pearl Harbor for yourself, watch this short video and join me as I visit the USS Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri:

Pearl Harbor was attacked on 7th December 1941, a date, as President Roosevelt famously announced to Congress, that would “live in infamy”. It was the event that brought the US into the war and probably sealed the fate not just of Japan but of Nazi Germany. In short, a pretty crucial point in the course of the war and of history.

The plaques bear the names of all the people who died at the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Admiral Yamamoto’s strategy was to annihilate the US Pacific Fleet, thus preventing them from interfering in Japan’s military actions in Southeast Asia. He attacked mainly by air (with a less successful attack by midget submarine): starting at 07.48 local time, 353 Japanese fighter planes, torpedo planes, and bombers were launched from six aircraft carriers and attacked the base. During the attack, 2,335 military personnel were killed and 1,143 wounded; the civilian figures were 68 and 103. The Japanese attackers lost 55 men.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

[…]

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”

The USS Arizona Memorial, a bridge that sits across the wreck of the ship below, was designed by an architect who had been detained at the start of the war as an enemy due to his Austrian birth. Oil still seeps from the ship below.

Today, Pearl Harbor is still a naval base, with a visitor’s centre and museum dedicated to telling the story of what happened during the war. The focus is on the USS Arizona, one of three battleships that could not be returned to service after the attack and the only one that could not be raised. One of the bombs that was dropped on the Arizona caused a detonation of the forward magazines and the explosion and its aftermath saw 1,177 officers and crew lose their lives. The names of these men are marked on the memorial built over the wreck of the ship.

The USS Missouri was saved from a fate of being dismantled for scrap metal and used for target practice.

If Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona marked the beginning of World War Two for the US, it was the USS Missouri that marked the end. The last battleship commissioned by the US – technology has since made these ships obsolete – the USS Missouri was not yet built at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Instead it played an important role a few years later, when it housed the official signing of the Japanese surrender in September 1945.

The “kissing sailor”, a statue of that famous photo that was taken on V-J Day in Times Square.

To my ignorant eye, the Missouri looks a lot like the Arizona in the film and this made it all the more poignant to walk around on board the ship and imagine what it would have been like on board the battleships that were present on the day of the bombing. Although I chose not to go below deck – I’m claustrophobic – I did peek into the cramped cabins lined with bunk beds, where men were sleeping on the day of the bombing; on the Missouri, youth groups can now spend the night here.

Across the water, you can see the more modern destroyers and submarines in what are still the headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet.

Next March, I’m travelling to Japan and I’m going to continue this historical journey to Hiroshima, another pivotal moment that came before that official signing of the surrender on the USS Missouri.

*As you can see, I’ve made the very difficult decision to go with the US spelling here. It is, after all, a place in the US…

The practical bit

Pearl Harbor Tours: You can drive to Pearl Harbor and visit the sights yourself but given that I didn’t have a car I booked onto the Arizona Memorial & Battleship Missouri Tour. It’s basically a full day, including also a drive through the Punchbowl Cemetery in town and a mini-city tour including Barack Obama’s private high school.

I’ve visited Texas many times over the years – my aunt moved to Dallas almost 30 years ago and my sister and I visited often when we were little. The highlight used to be watching the latest Disney film at the cinema before it had come out in the UK, and later going on shopping sprees at the mall; not to mention eating out a lot. And the cinnamon toast. I loved the cinnamon toast.

This time, though, I’m an adult (yes, I am!) and I’ve had the chance to sample a bit more of the culture that the state has to offer. The food has still featured pretty prominently on my agenda, but I’ve expanded my repertoire to include some dancing, bull riding, and even some politics. Here are 5 things to do in Texas for that (sort-of) authentic cowgirl experience…

1. Two-stepping

The first thing I said to my cousin when I arrived was that he had to take me line dancing. In the end he arranged for an evening of two-step, which apparently is more typical for Texas but had me feeling quite nervous as it sounded like “proper” dancing. And so it was that we drove to the biggest dance hall (or any hall) I’ve ever seen, dominated by what was essentially a racetrack with various bars in the middle and all around the outside.

Two-step essentially consists of the same three steps (yes, three!) over and over: quick-quick-slow, quick-quick-slow. You can do some spins and other fancy things but most of us simply quick-quick-slowed our way around the track. Our dance skills (or at least our confidence) improved as the night progressed – completely unrelated to the amount of beer and shots that were consumed, I’m sure… There was even a bit of line dancing, hurrah! It’s actually a really nice change to go out for some couples dancing compared to the solo hip shaking that’s more common nowadays.

2. Mechanical bull riding

We didn’t make it to a rodeo event but I did experience the next best thing. My cousin, very supportive in trying to give me the authentic Texan experience, kindly nudged me in the direction of the mechanical bull during that night of two-stepping. Okay, he dragged me up there. I think I did pretty well (there’s even a video on YouTube to prove it) – although I’m sure the operator went easy on me and didn’t push up the speed and rotation to the levels the bull is capable of. The tricky thing is that you have to hold on with just one hand and keep the other up in the air – all the while making appropriate facial expressions, of course. It’s a strange thing to do really but after seeing it in films for so many years I feel it’s a worthwhile experience to have had.

3. The State Fair of Texas

My other cousin also offered up her services in my Texan tourist quest and came along with me to the annual State Fair. I imagined something similar to what I’d seen in films like Meet Me in St Louis, Pollyanna, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – and, to be honest, it wasn’t far off. Attractions included the world’s oldest alligator, the world’s smallest horse, and even a freak show – none of which we paid to enter, I should hasten to add.

Actually, scrap that: according to Wikipedia, the Texas Star WAS the tallest ferris wheel in North America – until the opening of the Star of Puebla in 2013. Damn those Mexicans…

We focused our attention on the culinary experience: first, a foot-long corn dog; then a red velvet funnel cake. I had hoped to find some fried cookie dough along the way, but thankfully we couldn’t locate that stand and eventually gave up as the crowds took over. It was “OU weekend”, the busiest weekend at the fair as Oklahoma University played Texas at the Cotton Bowl stadium and a host of maroon shirts (OU fans) mingled with all the burned orange-coloured shirts (TU fans). (The uniform for women otherwise, as I’ve found at the two-stepping and here at the fair, is cowboy boots plus teeny tiny hot pants – just so you know.) We also took a ride on the Texas Star, North America’s highest amusement ride (of course!), and snapped a selfie with Big Tex, the mascot of the State Fair.

4. The George W. Bush museum

Telling Congress where it’s at.

So I initially resisted suggestions of going to the George W. Bush Library and Museum but I’m glad I succumbed in the end (but don’t tell my aunt I said that). It’s a strange kind of experience really, going to such a politicised museum, but it was an interesting reminder of the key events of Bush’s presidency as well as offering an insight into who he was as an individual. Highlights included visiting a replica of the Oval Office as it looked during his term as well as the interactive “decision point theatre” where we got to see how difficult it is to make a call on complex issues when your advisers are all saying different things. We also got to watch how George W. Bush successfully threw the first pitch to open a Yankees game – a big deal, apparently.

(I also highly recommend the Sixth Floor Museum, housed in the location from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK – I went there several times when I was younger and always found it fascinating. There’s a great conspiracy section at the end if you’re into that kind of thing!)

5. All you can eat

Now as the saying goes, “everything is big in Texas” – and that’s no exaggeration. People also eat out a lot here, and we’ve done so every day. We’ve eaten a LOT of food, of every type of cuisine there is – Tex Mex of course, as well as Argentinian, Hawaiian, Japanese, Indian, Lebanese and good old-fashioned American. Although portions are big (think all-you-can-eat chicken wings), you can always take the extra food home in a doggy bag. It’s not just the size, though, as they also do an incredible job at making even the healthy unhealthy: who ever heard of adding sugar and cinnamon to sweet potato?! Or candying the walnuts in your salad? I can also particularly recommend the whiskey cake at Whiskey Cake. Yu-um.

Speaking of healthy, the food binging is complemented by a complete lack of exercise, as you simply don’t walk anywhere at all. Each time I walked across the street to work from the local Starbucks I risked my life, the drivers completely oblivious to the idea of pedestrians. You even drive to the gym to walk on the treadmill. In fact it’s so hot in the summer that you hardly go outside at all, spending your time (at least in my case) shivering in the below-freezing air conditioning in all the shopping malls and restaurants. So the area benefits from amazing weather – but you don’t really get to enjoy it…

Thank you Karl, Becca and Birgitta for my all-American Texan experience! See y’all soon for some more cowgirl craziness…

I’ve always romanticised the idea of a road trip. There’s something about the open road, the fact that you can just pack up your things and go, you can stop wherever and whenever you want to, and you also have plenty of time to get to know the person you’re travelling with. Just look at Thelma and Louise and the deep bonds they formed as they… well, okay, they were in quite an extreme situation. Luckily for us my aunt and I didn’t get into that level of trouble when we took the roads of California for our ten-day trip.

For me, the planning of a trip is part of the fun and I’d done all sorts of calculations to see what we could manage in the time we had. As is often the case, I probably overstretched it a little – we drove over 2,000 miles in the end – but the result was a trip that can only be described as completely epic. We had plenty of time to explore the places we visited, to tick off a few items on the bucket list, and even to memorise all the US states and their capitals. What more could you want in a holiday?

Two girls ready to have some fun. It’s all about the rooftop bar!

On a road trip, you don’t really want to spend a lot of time stuck in traffic in the city, so we planned to leave Los Angeles as soon as we could. Arriving on Thursday evening, we had booked into The Standard in Downtown LA, mostly (okay, only) because it’s a hotel that’s known for its rooftop bar. We figured we wouldn’t have time to explore the city but a couple of drinks at the rooftop bar would be the perfect remedy for jet lag after a long journey, in my case halfway round the globe.

Of course we couldn’t leave LA without stopping for some snaps of at least one iconic landmark…

The next morning we headed out of town. Our first stop was in Santa Monica, a gorgeous seaside town with a fairground pier that reminded me of Brighton – except, perhaps, for the weather. Here, we had lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp, a tribute to Forrest Gump’s prawn-obsessed buddy, and bought hats to protect our little heads from the burning sun as we took the top down on our lovely yellow Beetle cabriolet.

We couldn’t resist stopping in Solvang, a little Danish colony founded in the early 20th century and offering the best (and largest) pastry I’ve ever had. YUM.

For our next overnight stop, I had selected a point that looked like it was more or less halfway between LA and San Francisco, at the “international landmark destination” Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. Named after its founder not the Madonna, this is a crazily kitsch hotel, each room different and with a restaurant decorated with huge flowers and fairy lights galore.

The Lone Cypress is over 250 years old and is one of the points of interest that is called out along the 17-mile drive.

The famous route between LA and San Francisco is Highway 1 while the most scenic stretch is arguably the 17-mile drive that goes around the Monterey peninsula between Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove. It cost 10 dollars to enter this drive as it’s a national park, but it’s a small price to pay for stunning views out into the ocean (and plenty of golf clubs if that’s what you’re into).

The famous fog lay over the bridge as we crossed over to Sausalito but it soon cleared as we reached the other side.

Having been playing Scott MacKenzie’s San Francisco (be sure to weeeeeear flowers in your haaaaaair) on repeat most of the day, we finally arrived into sunny San Francisco to be welcomed by free wine in the hotel reception, very nice. After having the most delicious ceviche and several pisco sours at La Mar, taking me back to my time in Lima (thank you, Marco!), I even ventured out into the SF nightlife with “the locals” (actually not-so-local friends from school) that took me to a bar in SOMA, to a Senegalese club, and to the city’s best burger and pizza joint, Sam’s, located just off Chinatown and open until 3am.

Golden Gate Bridge – I’ve optimistically signed up to the Golden Gate half-marathon in November so I’ll be back there soon enough!

My aunt and I had hoped to do the touristy thing of visiting Alcatraz the following morning, but when checking the ferries a few weeks before we had found that the tours were already full. Instead we headed out to Sausalito, a picturesque little town across the Golden Gate Bridge with beautiful views of the ocean with sailing boats and stand-up paddle boarders passing peacefully by. I think I’d like to live there one day!

Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo – This looked like it was about halfway between LA and San Francisco but in fact Highway 1 is a much windier road up north so it might be better to travel a bit further north before stopping for the night if you, like us, are doing the whole distance in two days.

17-mile drive – The standard direction seems to be from Pacific Grove on the north side of the peninsula to Pebble Beach on the south side. On entering, you get a map with various sights marked out along the route.

Best Western Tuscan Plus, San Francisco – We chose this hotel for its location on Fisherman’s Wharf, which houses a number of tourist attractions as well as many seafood restaurants. The Alcatraz ferry leaves from around here, while La Mar Cebicheria Peruana is in The Embarcadero in the east.

The Spinnaker, Sausalito – My second taste of oysters, darling, plus some very nice sole, with views of the little harbour and even a glimpse of the top of the Golden Gate bridge beyond the trees.

I’ve just entered the US green card lottery. Wish me luck! Apparently the chances of winning are around 0.5% – not bad odds, I think. There’s always been something quite mythical about the land that is home to the American dream, a country that promises liberty and justice for all, where cheerleaders date quarterbacks and customer service actually exists.

There’s a classic Swedish book series called Utvandrarna, The Emigrants, by Vilhelm Moberg, a series of four books telling the story of Karl-Oskar and Kristina as they take their family away from the hunger and poverty of 19th century rural Sweden to the land of soft white bread and fields that actually yield crops in Minnesota, where they build a new life. The story was made into a fabulous musical by Björn and Benny of ABBA fame, performed in concert form in the US, though I’m not sure how well it translates. In fact, I just walked past a newsagent where a tabloid newspaper (Aftonbladet) had the headline: “Find your rich relatives in the USA”, citing the statistic that over four million Americans have Swedish roots. In my own family history, we have just one person who made the journey to America: my grandmother’s uncle Olle, who crossed the Atlantic in the 1920s but later died without children. More recently, in the 1980s my youngest aunt immigrated to Texas – crazy cowboy – and she’s since spawned two beautiful youths who say “y’all” and know how to line dance.

Shadows of the past: echoes of the hopeful families who arrived in New York to begin a new life in AmericaEllis Island gets its name from Samuel Ellis, who owned the island privately in the 1770s-1780s

Millions of immigrants entered the port of New York via Ellis Island between 1892, when the Immigration Station officially opened, and 1924, when the island instead became a detention centre for those who would not be allowed to enter the United States. Almost half of the US population will have at least one person in their family history to have come through Ellis Island. Ellis Island opened to visitors in 1976 and I visited the museum on my first visit to the US in 1990, but during my latest visit it was closed for restoration following the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.

“I can see the Statue of Liberty already! Very small, of course…” (exaggerated Italian accent mandatory)

The Statue of Liberty would have been the first sight as the ships from Europe entered the harbour. Given it’s been 23 years (WHAT?! Wow I’m old) since I last made the boat journey across to the lady in question, I decided to pay her another visit. I think I was very lucky to be visiting New York in the small window between the reopening of the Statue of Liberty following Hurricane Sandy and its closure as a result of the current government shutdown. Although I had originally planned to climb all the way up to the crown (it’s not possible to access the balcony round the torch since 1916), I found that my claustrophobia made this less than tempting and anyway I had already done the climb back in 1990. I did go up to the pedestal, though, for great views across to Manhattan and New Jersey. Designed by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt, the pedestal actually makes up half of the total height of the Statue of Liberty, although the true icon is the lady herself, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi as a gift from the people of France.

The copper statue is 46 metres tall (that doesn’t sound very high to me?!) and represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch in one hand and a tablet on which is written the Declaration of Independence in the other.My sister and I strutting our stuff in matching, errr, I’m not sure what to call those trousers, on the boat to the Statue of Liberty back in 1990I wasn’t claustrophobic then, and we made it all the way up to the crown (here with my sister again and my stylishly permed mother)Fast forward to 2013 and here I am up on the pedestal (where I belong, some might say), behind me the Manhattan skyline. The tallest building, surpassing the Empire State Building once more, is the new One World Trade Center tower.

The Empire State Building is another symbol of the Manhattan skyline. Completed in 1931 and built in art deco style, it’s been identified by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. It’s an iconic building in popular culture from giant gorillas to romantic rendez-vous (how do you pluralise that?!). The standard lighting of the tower is white, but the colours change for various reasons such as anniversaries, campaigns and Broadway shows. Unlike the Statue of Liberty, you can take a lift the whole way up, avoiding claustrophobic and heart attack-inducing staircases to get 360-degree views over the island of Manhattan (though the lift is so fast that my ears felt the change in pressure, taking less than a minute to reach the 86th floor). More than 30 people have attempted suicide from the 102-storied building, and Wikipedia tells the tragically hilarious tale of the two that were unsuccessful (the individuals in question survived after landing just one floor down from the 86th floor from which they had jumped). The Disneyland queuing system must be a nightmare during peak times, but I came early in the morning and walked straight through. Somewhat ridiculously, to my mind, they take your photo as you pass through, against a blue screen that puts you in front of a night view of the building, and charge you 20 dollars for the honour of taking it home at the end of your visit (they print every single one, which means that those people who do buy the photo are also paying for all the other discarded ones).

Not bad, considering the person I asked to take this picture didn’t speak English. Some things are universal…The top of the Empire State Building is covered with broadcast antennas and the tower tapers off with a lightning rod at its pinnacleThe voice in the lift down from the 102nd floor congratulates you on becoming part of an “elite” that has gone to the top of the Empire State Building – “elite, he didn’t say exclusive!” as the bellman clarified, given the thousands of people who make the same trip every dayRewind again to 1990, and my sister, my mum and I are up on the 86th floor, with the addition of my half-brother who missed the Statue of Liberty as he was ill the poor thing

The biggest change I noticed since visiting these two tourist spots 23 years ago was the increased security. You feel like you’re at an airport, and it makes for an even longer queuing time, though of course it’s understandable these days. Oh, and I’d like to think my fashion sense has improved a little…

The practical bit:

Visiting the Statue of Liberty

Tickets to the Statue of Liberty can be bought via Statue Cruises. There are three types of tickets:

(1) Reserve only (access to the island) (2) Reserve with monument access (island plus lift up to the top of the pedestal) (3) Reserve with crown access (island plus lift up to the pedestal plus stairs up to the crown)

There is a free audio tour available, but I must admit that I found it hard to concentrate and ended up just wandering round the statue without the narration.

*Note: It is currently not possible to visit Liberty Island due to the government shutdown. You can, however, still do a sightseeing tour by boat*

Visiting the Empire State Building

There are even more options to visit the Empire State Building, including express tickets to avoid the queues. To avoid both waiting and paying extra for express, the website recommends visiting during off-peak hours, 8-10am or around 3pm. Online tickets are valid for a year from the date of purchase.

(1) Main deck only (access to the 86th floor) (2) Main deck plus top deck (access to the 86th floor and the 102nd floor)